A Summoner's Tale
Ch. 1: The Welcoming
In the middle of a large forest clearing stood a cloaked figure staring up at a rather large structure before him. This structure was simply a gateway barring the way to whatever it was protecting on the other side.
"So this is the Institute of War…" he muttered.
With a sigh he shook himself from his musings.
"Whatever, I'd better get in there and get this thing over with," he said, "I wonder how lil' Arty is doing?"
With that said, the cloaked figure made his way up the stairs towards the gaping doorway. Once he reached the top he looked back down towards the bottom.
"Damn, we're pretty high up," said the figure with smirk on his face, "I always loved heights."
With that said, the figure continued on into the building waving to the guards posted at either side of the door. They didn't so much as blink at the gesture and instead continued to stare straight forwards.
"Well then, somebody rolled of the wrong side of the bed."
The figure walked through archway into a huge room made of the same stone from outside giving it a rather intimidating look.
"Well this is rather intimidating," said the figure before continuing towards the doors at the opposite side of the room.
Or rather that was the plan until the doors behind him shut leaving him in the darkness.
"Wow… really?"
Now in the pitch black room the man sighed.
"I know from what Artemis told me that there was going to be a test of some sort before entering but I thought it would be a written one," said the man, "But how the hell am I supposed to write anything when there's, I dunno, NO LIGHTS!"
No voice answered leaving the man to groan.
"Welp, there's only one thing to do in a time like this."
With that the man settled down on the floor on his back and closed his eyes.
"One million caskets of ale on the wall, one million caskets of ale~" sang the man nonchalantly, "Take one down, pass it around-."
"Nine-hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred ninety nine caskets of ale on the wall~."
The man opened his eyes and found himself staring at a homey wooden ceiling.
What the…
The man looked around until he saw a girl about half his age looking up at the ceiling as well. The girl turned her head to look up on the man with a pair of playful brown eyes.
"Hey! Why did you stop?" complained the girl.
The man stared at her before smiling sadly.
"…So that's what kind of test this is…" he whispered.
"Test? What test?" asked the girl, "Are you studying for something Uncle Tammy?"
'Uncle Tammy' looked back at the girl lying beside him with a withered look.
"Just hurry up and show me the whole purpose of why you're doing this, I know my history better than anyone."
The girl seemed taken aback drawing a bit of satisfaction from 'Uncle Tammy' but only a miniscule amount, which quickly subsided. The man slowly got back onto his feet and turned to look down at the girl only for the scene to change. The cozy little wooden cottage was suddenly in flames. The sounds of war raged outside and in the middle of it all, the same girl… his precious little niece… was lying under a flaming wooden beam reaching a weak, bloody hand towards him with pleading eyes.
"Why weren't you here with me Uncle Tammy?" she whimpered, "Why didn't you come and save me?"
The man said nothing at first before he slowly walked up towards the apparition before him, knelt down and pulled off his hood revealing his unkempt dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes.
"First of all, my name is Tamarik Levant," said the man holding up his right index finger, "But Artemis calls me Tamar for short and I call him Arty."
Tamarik then held up his middle finger along side his index finger.
"Second, there are only two people who have the right to call me by that name and they are Sorina who is dead and gone now and a good friend of mine who is in this Institute last I heard."
Tamarik then held up is ring finger beside his other fingers.
"Third and lastly I fully regret not being there for Sorina when our house caught on fire thanks to the Noxian invasion, but I also know that there was nothing I could have done and I have moved on due to that fact."
Tamarik then lowered his hand and stood up straight.
"So to answer your, frankly over dramatic, question; the reason I want to become a summoner is so I can fulfill Sorina's last wish, and I'm pretty sure you know what that is."
Suddenly the scene changed again and Sorina stood before Tamarik with a huge smile on her small face.
"I think Uncle Tammy should be a summoner!" she said with a big smile.
"Like I said, you already knew."
Suddenly the scene shifted again and Tamarik found himself standing on an all too familiar hill. Standing in front of him with his back turned was a cloaked man that he was very familiar with.
"But there is something else to why you want to join as well, isn't there?" said the man before slowly turning to face him.
Tamarik already knew that the man in front of him was an illusion of his brother, Artemis Levant. Tamarik sighed before taking in his surroundings, impressed at how accurate the feeling and sounds were to his memory… then again it was all a memory that was being forced upon him.
"I left to become stronger and live at the Institute of War," continued Artemis' apparition, "To actually DO something for a change instead of sitting on my arse like you."
"Arty indeed blames me for Sorina's death," said Tamarik with a wistful look on his face, "At times I agree with him full heartedly."
Tamarik then turned to face the apparition again,
"But a friend of mine once told me... 'You can either sit around and feel guilty about something you can't change or get up and do something about it!'"
Tamarik smirked as he recalled the memory.
"So here I am and I'm ready to do something with my life for a change and reform the weakened bond I share with my brother."
There was silence for a while and while Tamarik held a calm front, his heart was beating wildly. Suddenly the scene faded and Tamarik found himself back in the huge stone room at the front of the Institute with the doors open and torches flaring up from beacons that Tamarik only just now noticed.
Well… mum always said I wasn't the most observant individual around…
"You and Artemis Levant are most definitely brothers."
Tamarik looked towards an elder woman dressed in summoner garb looking at him like he was a cattle to be assessed before being sent to the slaughter.
"Judging from your fancy garb and your pompous attitude I'm assuming you're the High Summoner?"
The High Summoner stared at Tamarik before shaking her head with a sigh.
"Yes… you two are definitely brothers," she muttered before continuing on in an official voice, "I am High Summoner-."
"I thought we already established that you're the High Summoner," interrupted Tamarik with a badly concealed smirk, "C'mon chop chop, times-a-wasting!"
The woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before trying again.
"I am High Summoner Vessaria Kolminye and-."
"Yep, definitely not going to remember that one," said Tamarik while scratching the back of his head, "How about Vess? That's easier to remember."
Vessaria's brow twitched as she slowly began to lose her patience.
"You have passed our test with flying colors, but you will need to take on the Preliminaries before you are qualified to become a ranked summoner," she said through gritted teeth.
Tamarik nodded at that getting into a mock thinking position.
"Indeed, my brother has told me of this, and last I heard he's in the Gold Division."
A small glint of pride flitted onto Tamarik's face for a split second before he went back to his normal nonchalant manner.
"But I'll be surpassing him and showing him who the real boss is."
Vessaria shook her head at Tamarik's nonchalance.
"Arrogance will get you nowh-."
"And why is the High Summoner here to see me into the Institute?" interrupted Tamarik once again, "Don't you have more pressing matters to attend to than being entertained by my oh so joyful antics?"
"… Welcome to the Institute of War, a fellow summoner will meet you to escort you to your chambers," came the stiff reply.
With that, Vessaria turned and walked towards the interior of the Institute with the dignity she had left.
"Hehehe still got it," said Tamarik with a fist raised before making his way towards the door Vessaria just exited.
When he stepped through, he was immediately greeted by what could only be described as a city. From where Tamarik was standing, he saw to his left an array of tall fort-like buildings of Demacian design with bright blue Demacian flags hanging off of all of them making sure to state that those buildings belonged to Demacia. To his right he saw an array of wooden buildings of Ionian architecture with a bit more plant life that the "Demacian side" had. The streets were also bustling with life on both sides and in between as summoners from everywhere mingled with one another about matches or whatnot along with the occasional guard patrol. Tamarik took in his surroundings with a whistle.
"Demacia looks like a slum compared to this ridiculousness," he observed to himself.
It is a shame that Sorina couldn't see this… she always loved cities.
Tamarik shook his head before looking towards the sky.
Rest in peace my little sunflower.
Tamarik took a deep breath before he looked around for his supposed guide. Sure enough from through the crowd a hooded figure in summoner's garb approached Tamarik.
"Greetings Summoner Levant, I am Summoner Lemont Ulyptis and I will be showing you to your chambers," said the summoner in an cocky, aristocratic sort of tone, "If you would foll-."
"Nope," interrupted Tamarik.
Lemont reared his head back in surprise and indignation at the interruption.
"Is there something the matter?" he hissed, "Becau-."
"Why yes there is Summoner Lemon Penis," said Tamarik with a grin.
The summoner bristled at that.
"Wha- how dare you!" he growled.
"What?" asked Tamarik with a shrug, "Your name sounds too complicated so I decided to improvise, c'mon it's a basic tactic when you're on the spot."
"Who do you think you are?"
"Mwa?" asked Tamarik while dramatically feigning surprise, "I thought you knew who I was Summoner Stick-Up-His-Ass."
"It's Ulyptis," growled the summoner, raising his voice, "And I'll have you know that I'm a Gold Ranked summoner who's in his promotional to Platinum."
Tamarik put his hands onto his chest in a dramatic way while leaning back with wide eyes.
"Oh my word! We have a badass over here!" exclaimed Tamarik, "Already in his promo to Platinum! Well-done good sir! I say well done Summoner Leaky Underpants!"
By this point Lemont's face was bright red in anger as he lifted his finger to retaliate when suddenly he became very aware of a crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle. Most were barely holding back their laughter. Tamarik realized this way before Lemont and decided to put on a show and by golly was it working grandly.
"C'mon people let's give our Platinum derp face a hand!" said Tamarik.
The crowd erupted into laughter and applause in which Tamarik performed a theatric bow. Lemont in the other hand stormed through the crowd with his face still red with anger.
"Thank you! Thank you! I'm here all day!" announced Tamarik in jest.
Suddenly the crowd stopped clapping all together staring with wide eyes at something behind him. Tamarik lifted a brow and was about to turn when suddenly he felt his eyes being covered by a pair of lithe hands causing his world to go black. An equally lithe body pressed against his back and the warmth of somebody's breathing tickled his right ear.
"Guess who," whispered a sultry voice.